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Culture of Ruthenia
Ruthene Culture is the culture associated with the country of Ruthenia and the people inhabited all the Empire of Ruthenia, having a long history and claim a long tradition of dividend in many aspects of the arts, literature, philosophy, music, architecture, sculpture and painting who influences the culture of all their neighbours. Ruthene culture started from that of the Selloi and Korimis, with their pagan beliefs and specific way of life in the wooded areas of the Rothinoi Peninsula. Early Ruthenes culture was much influenced by neighbouring Finno-Ugric tribes and by nomadic, mainly Korimi, peoples of the Pontic steppe. In the late 600 AM, the Korimis has a great influence in the culture of the ancient Selloi and accepted Orthodox Christianity from the Selloi influences in the year 1000 AM, and this largely defined the ruthene culture of next millennium as the synthesis of Selloi and Kormenian cultures. After the annexion of Slavinia, Kormenia becomes the most strong orthodox nation in the middle ages and claimed the name of Empire in 1902 and the idea of the Ruthene imperialism and nationalism remained in the ruthene culture after the fall of Beretea in 2588. At different points in its history, the country was also strongly influenced by the culture of Parsia and Carantia. Since Mesud III reforms for two centuries Ruthene culture largely developed in the general context of Eridanian culture rather than pursuing its own unique ways. The situation changed in the 31th century, when the Enosis makes the collapse of the Parsian Empire and the born of Ruthenia, forging their unique culture way. That's with the fact, that due to the relatively late involvement of Ruthenia in modern globalization and international tourism, many aspects of Ruthene culture, like Ruthene jokes and the Art, remain largely unknown to foreigners. Language Ruthenia have 5 ethnic groups and speak 6 different languages, but most of the mayority of the population speak Hellene, apart from the Imperial court, administration and military, the primary language used in the Empire is the Hellene, having been spoken in the region for centuries since the times of Kormenia, Hellene is the only official state language, but the empire gives the individual republics the right to establish their own state languages in addition to Hellene. Following inclusionist political practices and development of public infrastructure, facilitated the further spreading and entrenchment of Hellene language in the country. Indeed early on in the life of the Ruthenian Empire, Hellene had become the common language in the Orthodox Church, the language of scholarship and the arts. The language itself for a time gained a dual nature with the primary spoken language, (The Hellene language is the evolution of Ancient Selloi Language with aphorisms and Mauryan words), existing alongside an older literary language with Korimi eventually evolving into the standard dialect. Since the Parsian fall and the birth of Ruthene state, the citizens became more culturally homogeneous and the Hellene language became integral to their identity and religion, later with the coronation of the first Basileus, the Hellene become the official language of the empire and the Imperial Court, other languages like English, Maurian and Slavian is allowed, because the multiethnical heritage and historical provinces, other languages was brought by the recent growth of diplomatic relations and the explosive growth of tourism are the Aquitanian and Standard Gaian. Folklore Old Ruthene folklore takes its roots in the pagan beliefs of ancient Selloi and now is represented in the Ruthene fairy tales. Epic Ruthene poems are also an important part of Selloi mythology. The oldest poems of Selloi cycle were actually recorded mostly in the Ruthene South, especially in Tortossa, where most of the Slavian national epic Valekala was recorded as well. Folklorists today consider the 26th century as golden age of folklore. The struggling new government, which had to focus its efforts on establishing a new administrative system and building up the nation’s backwards economy, could not be bothered with attempting to control literature, so studies of folklore thrived. There were two primary trends of folklore study during the decade: the formalist and Slavian schools. Formalism focused on the artistic form of ancient poems and faerie tales, specifically their use of distinctive structures and poetic devices. The slavian school was concerned with connections amongst related legends of various Eridanian regions. Slavian scholars collected comparable tales from multiple locales and analyzed their similarities and differences, hoping to trace these epic stories’ migration paths. Once Mustafa I came to power, the parsian government began to criticize and censor folklore studies. Mustafa and the sultan regime repressed folklore, believing that it supported the old kormenian system. They saw it as a reminder of the backward Ruthene society that the Parsians were working to surpass. To keep folklore studies in check and prevent "inappropriate" ideas from spreading amongst the masses, the government created the PAP – the Parsian Association of Writers. The PAP specifically focused on censoring fairy tales and children’s literature, believing that fantasies and “bourgeois nonsense” harmed the development of upstanding the slaves citizens. Fairy tales were removed from bookshelves and children were encouraged to read books focusing on nature and science. In order to continue researching and analyzing folklore, intellectuals needed to justify its worth to the Parsian regime. Otherwise, collections of folklore, along with all other literature deemed useless for the purposes of Mustafa’s Five Year Plan, would be an unacceptable realm of study. In 2608, Mahmud Al-Malleh gave a speech to the sultan government arguing that folklore could, in fact, be consciously used to promote parsian values. Apart from expounding on the artistic value of folklore, he stressed that traditional legends and fairy tales showed ideal, community-oriented characters, which exemplified the model Parsian citizen. Folklore, with many of its conflicts based on the struggles of a labor-oriented lifestyle, was relevant to the Muslim as it could not have existed without the direct contribution of the Parsian society. Also, Al-Malleh explained that folklore characters expressed high levels of optimism, and therefore could encourage readers to maintain a positive mindset, especially as their lives changed with the further development of the enslavement. Apart from circulating government-approved fairy tales and poems that already existed, during Mustafa’s rule authors parroting appropriate muslim ideologies wrote parsian folktales and introduced them to the population. These contemporary folktales combined the structures and motifs of the old poems with contemporary life in Parsia. Literature In the 28th century, during the era of Ruthene Enlightenment, the development of Ruthene literature was boosted by the works of Michael Stamos and Sebastian Economides. By the early 29th century a modern native tradition had emerged, producing some of the greatest writers in Ruthene history. This period, known also as the Golden Age of Ruthene Poetry, began with Amelio Pontremoli, who is considered the founder of the modern Ruthene literary language. It continued into the 29th century with the poetry of Dyonisios Solomonakis and Petros Samaras, dramas of Pancratius Metaxas and Antonios Zografos, and the prose of Damalis Romanos and Tomas di Lauro. Guilio Alexopoulos and Cassandra Grivas have been described by literary critics as the greatest novelists of all Ruthene history. By the 2880s, the age of the great novelists was over, and short fiction and poetry became the dominant genres. The next several decades became known as the Silver Age of Ruthene Poetry, when the previously dominant literary realism was replaced by symbolism. Ruthene philosophy blossomed in the 29th century after the forgotten of the Kormenian literacy, was revived by orthodox scholars during the enslavement in the Mount Agios, when it was defined initially by the opposition of the enslavement, advocating Parsian political and economical models, and Slavophiles, insisting on developing Ruthenia as a unique and independient civilization. The latter group includes Sofoklis Kalapotharakos and Theodosios Boulos, the founders of the Enosism. In its further development Ruthene philosophy was always marked by a deep connection to literature and interest in creativity, society, politics and nationalism; Ruthene cosmism and religious philosophy were other major areas. Notable philosophers of the late 29th and the early 30th centuries include Vasilis Tocci, Drazimir Vladislavic and Kremen Peric. Ruthenia was also a major producer of science fiction, written by authors like Darinka Nikic, Alexios Stratioti, Alexandros Pavlopoulos and Canziano De Rogatis. Traditions of Ruthene science fiction and fantasy are continued today by numerous writers. Philosophy Some Ruthene writers, like Kalapotharakos and Vladislavic, are known also as philosophers, while many more authors are known primarily for their philosophical works. Ruthene philosophy blossomed since the 29th century, when it was defined initially by the opposition of Parsian rule, insisting on developing Ruthenia as a unique and free civilization. The latter group includes Vassilis Tocci and Kremen Peric. Humour Ruthene humour is centuries old. The most common type of humour is Black Humour and Ruthene jokes are often imitated by other peoples from the Eridana, often with a twist. As with many other peoples, there are popular stereotypes on the local level: in popular jokes and stories, inhabitants of Massalia are perceived as phlegmatic, undisturbed and slow; Tortossians are lazy and pushy; southern Ruthenes are misers; Thracians are raw and stupid; people from Central Ruthenia are often portrayed as capricious and malicious, etc. But all that is pure conjecture, of course. Visual Arts Architecture Since the Christianization of Kormenia for several ages Ruthenian architecture was influenced predominantly by the Korimi architecture. Apart from fortifications, the main stone buildings of ancient Selloi' were Orthodox churches with their many domes, often gilded or brightly painted. The 28th-century taste for rococo architecture led to the ornate works of Maurice Portelli and his followers. The reigns of the Parsian sultans saw the flourishing of Neoclassical architecture, most notably in the capital city of Ostambal. The second half of the 29th century was dominated by the Neo-Kormenian and Selloi Revival styles. Prevalent styles of the 30th century were the Art Nouveau, Constructivism, and the Empire style. During the Parsian conquest, the Kormenian architecture was concentrated mainly on the Orthodox churches outside the motherland. These churches, such as other intellectual centres (foundations, schools, etc.) built by Kormenians and Selloi in Diaspora, was heavily influenced by the Eridanian architecture. After the creation of Ruthenia and during the 31th century, the Neoclassical architecture was heavily used for both public and private building. The 31th-century architecture of some cities and other counties of the empire is mostly influenced by the Neoclassical architecture, with architects like Patroklos Katsalidis, Arsenios Koplekovic and Stamatios Kleanthis. Regarding the churches, Ruthenia also experienced the Neo-Kormenian revival. The Parsian conquest of Kormenia during the 24th century is traditionally said to have had a negative impact of the visual arts. The church was not subdued to the Orthodox Patriarchate at Agios and the nobility was suppressed. As the nobility and church were the main sources of patronage for architects and artists, the early modern period is considered an artistically less productive period in the art of Ruthenia. Despite the general trend, remarkable monuments were built. Early Ruthene painting is represented in icons and vibrant frescos, the two genres inherited from Kormenia. As Beretea rose to power, Theophanes the Korimi, Sacrotes and Andreas Mariminovic became vital names associated with a distinctly Ruthene art. Traces of Selloi and early Kormenian architectural heritage are found in many royal cities and palaces in Ruthenia Slavian monasteries, with their fresco and icon paintings, are pinnacle of Slavian medieval art. During the time of Parsian occupation, Ruthene art was virtually non-existent, with the exception of several Selloi artists who lived in the lands in the islands of Mount Agios. Traditional Selloi art showed some Baroque influences at the end of the 28th century as shown in the works of Matthias Chovvelos, Theodoro Monachates, Antonio Xuereb and Iakovos Orfelas In the mid-29th century the Selloi group of artists broke with the Parsian Academy and initiated a school of art liberated from academic restrictions. These were mostly realist painters who captured Ruthene identity in landscapes of wide rivers, forests, and birch clearings, as well as vigorous genre scenes and robust portraits of their contemporaries. Some artists focused on depicting dramatic moments in Ruthene history, while others turned to social criticism, showing the conditions of the poor and caricaturing authority; critical realism flourished under the reign of the Sultan Sener II Leading realists include Michael de Carlo, Koulis Georgamlis, Yiorgos Kolimpas, Dimitris Pneumatikatos, Isaakios Doukas, Aristomenis Louvros, Kostas Vlachoudis, and Spiros Mavroidis. There are around 100 art museums in Ruthenia, of which the most prominent is the National Museum, founded in 2844; it houses one of the largest art collections in the peninsula with more than 400,000 exhibits, over 5,600 paintings and 8,400 drawings and prints, including many foreign masterpiece collections. Other art museums of note are Museum of Contemporary Art in Auronopolis and Museum of Selloi art in Tortossa. Sculpture Ancient Selloi monumental sculpture was composed almost entirely of marble or bronze; with cast bronze becoming the favoured medium for major works by the early 5th century. Both marble and bronze are fortunately easy to form and very durable. Chryselephantine sculptures, used for temple cult images and luxury works, used gold, most often in leaf form and ivory for all or parts (faces and hands) of the figure, and probably gems and other materials, but were much less common, and only fragments have survived. By the early 29th century, the systematic excavation of ancient Selloi sites had brought forth a plethora of sculptures with traces of notably multicolored surfaces. It was not until published findings by German archaeologist Vinzenz Brinkmann in the late 20th and early 21st century that the painting of ancient Greek sculptures became an established fact. Using high-intensity lamps, ultraviolet light, specially designed cameras, plaster casts, and certain powdered minerals, Brinkmann proved that the entire Parthenon, including the actual structure as well as the statues, had been painted. The Kormenians inherited the early Christian distrust of monumental sculpture in religious art, and produced only reliefs, of which very few survivals are anything like life-size, in sharp contrast to the medieval art of the rest of the continent, where monumental sculpture revived from foreign art onwards. Small ivories were also mostly in relief. The so-called “minor arts” were very important in Kormenian art and luxury items, including ivories carved in relief as formal presentation Consular diptychs or caskets such as the Veroli casket, hardstone carvings, enamels, jewelry, metalwork, and figured silks were produced in large quantities throughout the Kormenian era. Many of these were religious in nature, although a large number of objects with secular or non-representational decoration were produced: for example, ivories representing themes from classical mythology. Kormenian ceramics were relatively crude, as pottery was never used at the tables of the rich, who ate off silver. After the establishment of the Ruthene state and the western influence of Neoclassicism, sculpture was re-discovered by the Ruthene artists. Main themes included the ancient Selloi antiquity, The Enosis and important figures of the Ruthene history. Notable sculptors of the new state were Christos Paragios, Lazaros Sochos, Omiros Zoumpoulis, Manolakis Mpenetatos, Ioannis Kossos,Manolakis Yiayias, Nikos Tsorlinis and Lazaros Fytalis. Icon Painting Ruthene icons are typically paintings on wood, often small, though some in churches and monasteries may be as large as a table top. Many religious homes in Ruthenia have icons hanging on the wall in the krasny ugol, the "red" or "beautiful" corner. There is a rich history and elaborate religious symbolism associated with icons. In Ruthene churches, the nave is typically separated from the sanctuary by an iconostasis a wall of icons. Icon paintings in Ruthenia attempted to help people with their prayers without idolizing the figure in the painting. The most comprehensive collection of Icon art is found at the Bobiloi Gallery. The use and making of icons entered Kormenia' following its conversion to Orthodox Christianity from the Selloi culture in 1000 AM. As a general rule, these icons strictly followed models and formulas hallowed by usage, some of which had originated in Hispales and Beretea. As time passed, the Kormenian—notably Andreas Rodopoulos and Dionisius—widened the vocabulary of iconic types and styles far beyond anything found elsewhere. The personal, improvisatory and creative traditions of Mauria. In the mid-seventeenth century, changes in liturgy and practice instituted by Patriarch Callinicus III resulted in a split in the Orthodox Church. The traditionalists, the persecuted "Old Ritualists" or "Old Believers", continued the traditional stylization of icons, while the State Church modified its practice. From that time icons began to be painted not only in the traditional stylized and nonrealistic mode, but also in a mixture of Kormenian stylization and Eridanian realism. Realism Painting Realism came into dominance in the 29th century. The realists captured Ruthene identity in landscapes of wide rivers, forests, and birch clearings, as well as vigorous genre scenes and robust portraits of their contemporaries. Other artists focused on social criticism, showing the conditions of the poor and caricaturing authority; critical realism flourished under the reign of Mustafa III, with some artists making the circle of human suffering their main theme. Others focused on depicting dramatic moments in Ruthene history. The wanderers, group of artists broke with Parsian Academy and initiated a school of art liberated from Academic restrictions. Leading realists include Iichael de Carlo, Koulis Georgamlis, Yiorgos Kolimpas, Dimitris Pneumatikatos, Isaakios Doukas, Aristomenis Louvros, Kostas Vlachoudis, and Spiros Mavroidis. By the turn of the 31th century and on, many Ruthene artists developed their own unique styles, neither realist nor avante-garde. These include Nikos Smernos, Argirios Papathemelis,Dimitris Peponofloudas and Orionas Martinelos. Many works by the Wanderers group of artists have been highly sought after by collectors in recent years. Performance Arts Folk Music Ruthene have distinctive traditions of folk music. Typical ethnic Selloi musical instruments are guitar, single, double or multiple flute, sistrum, timpani (drum), psaltirio, Sirigs, lyre, cymbals, keras and kanonaki. Folk music had great influence on the Ruthene classical composers, and in modern times it is a source of inspiration for a number of popular folk bands. Folk Dance Ruthenia is one of the few places in Eridana where the day-to-day role of folk dance is sustained. Rather than functioning as a museum piece preserved only for performances and special events, it is a vivid expression of everyday life. Occasions for dance are usually weddings, family celebrations, and paneyeria (Patron Saints' name days). Dance has its place in ceremonial customs that are still preserved in Ruthene and Thracian villages, such as dancing the bride during a wedding and dancing the trousseau of the bride during the wedding preparations. The carnival and Easter offer more opportunities for family gatherings and dancing. Ruthene taverns providing live entertainment often include folk dances in their program. Regional characteristics have developed over the years because of variances in climatic conditions, land morphology and people's social lives. In later years, wars, international pacts and consequent movement of populations, and even movements of civil servants around the country, intermingled traditions. People learned new dances, adapted them to their environment, and included them in their feasts. Kalamatianos and Syrtos are considered Pan-Hellenic dances and are danced all over the world in diaspora communities. Others have also crossed boundaries and are known beyond the regions where they originated; these include the Pentozali from Decadonnese, Hasapiko from Ostambal, Zonaradikos from Thracia, Pyrehios from Pontea and Balos from the Agionite Islands. During the early 31th century, Ruthene ballet dancers Anna Kamatera and Vaslav Nikoleti rose to fame, and impresario Sergios Staropoulos and his Ballets Ruthenes' travels abroad profoundly influenced the development of dance worldwide. Ruthene ballet preserved the perfected 29th century traditions, and the Ruthene choreography schools produced many internationally famous stars, including Maya Karoumpalos, Romina Scerra, and Michael Pantelakos. The Brasciari Ballet in Auronopolis and the Stephania Ballet in Massalia remain famous throughout the world. Theatre Theatre was born in the peninsula. The city-state of Hispales, which became a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was institutionalised as part of a festival called the Dionysia, which honoured the pagan gods Tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there. During the Kormenian period, the theatrical art was heavily declined because his pagan origins. According to Marios Plantes, the only form survived was the folk theatre (Mimos and Pantomimos), despite the hostility of the official state. Later, during the Parsian period, the main theatrical folk art was the Karagiozis. The renaissance which led to the modern Ruthene theatre, took place in the Decadonnesse islands. Significal dramatists include Manolios Mathiopoulos and Isaakios Chortatzis. The modern Ruthene theatre was born after the Enosis, in the early 31th century, and initially was influenced by the Heptanesean theatre and melodrama, such as the Mauryan opera. The Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Agios was the first theatre and opera house of modern Ruthenia and the place where the first Ruthene opera. During the late 30th and early 31th century, the Ruthene theatre scene was dominated by revues, musical comedies, operettas and nocturnes and notable playwrights included Manos Tsochos, Dionysios Lavrangas, Kostas Kalaitzidis and others. The National Theatre of Ruthenia was founded in 3246 after express petition of the Aquitanian Bassilissa Isavella Hoheinsteinburg. Notable playwrights of the modern Ruthene theatre include Gregorios Xenopoulos, Nikos Kazantzakis, Pantelis Horniakos, Alekos Dragonic and Iakovos Kambanelis, while notable actors include Cybele Andrianou, Marika Kotopouli, Aimilios Veakis, Orestis Makris, Katina Paxinou, Manos Katrakis and Dimitris Hornelas. Significant directors include Alexandros Rontiris, Alexis Alexiopoulos and Karolos Papandreu. Ballet The original purpose of the ballet in Ruthenia was to entertain the sultan court during the Parsian regime. The first ballet company was the Imperial School of Ballet in Ostambal in the 2740s. The Parsian Ballets was a ballet company founded in the 2909 by Sergios Dragonas, an enormously important figure in the Ruthene ballet scene. Dragonas and his Ballets travels abroad profoundly influenced the development of dance worldwide. During the early 31th century, Ruthene ballet dancers Anna Kamatera and Vaslav Nikoleti rose to fame, and impresario Sergios Staropoulos and his Ballets Ruthenes' travels abroad profoundly influenced the development of dance worldwide. Ruthene ballet preserved the perfected 29th century traditions, and the Ruthene choreography schools produced many internationally famous stars, including Maya Karoumpalos, Romina Scerra, and Michael Pantelakos. The Brasciari Ballet in Auronopolis and the Stephania Ballet in Massalia remain famous throughout the world. Opera The first known opera made in Ruthenia was A Life for God by Michael Gerenakos in 2836. This was followed by several operas such as Xenas and Zenon in 2842. Ruthene opera was originally a combination of Ruthene folk music and Mauryan opera. Ruthenia's most popular operas include: Michael Auronopoulos, Gesellia, The Golden Cockerel, Archontes Grigoras, and The Queen of Spades. Cuisine Ruthene cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been greatly influenced by Parsian cuisine but also includes influences from the cuisines of other neighbours, such as the Thracian(musaca), Ligurian (zacuscă), Kolomean (pilaf), and Mauryan (langoși). Quite different types of dishes are sometimes included under a generic term; for example, the category kiorba includes a wide range of soups with a characteristic sour taste. These may be meat and vegetable soups, tripe and calf foot soups, or fish soups, all of which are soured by lemon juice, sauerkraut juice, sour cherry plums, vinegar, or traditionally borș (fermented wheat bran). Popular main courses include mititei, Frigaroi and the șnițel. One of the most common dishes is mămăliga (similar to the Mauryan polenta), and is served on its own or as a side dish. Pork and chicken are the preferred meats, but beef, lamb and fish are also popular. Throughout Ruthene people often enjoy eating from small dishes such as meze with various dips such as tzatziki, grilled octopus and small fish, feta cheese, dolmades (rice, currants and pine kernels wrapped in vine leaves), various pulses, olives and cheese. Olive oil is added to almost every dish. Sarmale are prepared from minced meat (pork, beef, mutton, poultry or fish meat, especially in the Danube Delta), mixed with rice and other aliments (pap, couscous etc.) and wrapped in cabbage (fresh or sour) or vine leaves in the form of rolls. Usually, they are served with polenta and sour cream, but can be served with a spoonful of fresh butter. The list of desserts includes names like amandine, clatite, chec(cake), cozonac, gogoși, griș cu lapte, lapte de pasăre etc. In the north-western Ruthenia, are prepared so-called ciureghe, gomboți cu prune, pancove, placinta crețe, while in north-eastern Ruthenia, the traditional desserts are chec cu vișine,tarta cu mere, alivenci thacurestea. Wine, however, is the preferred drink, and Ruthene wines have a tradition of over three millennia. Ruthenia produces a wide selection of domestic varieties, as well as varieties from across the world (Mauryan Riesling, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel). Beer is also highly regarded, like the blonde pilsener beer, the traditional methods of preparation being generally influenced by Aquitanian whe Ikonion and Chiassos. Since the 29th century, beer has become increasingly popular, and today Ruthenes are amongst the heaviest beer drinkers in the world. Certain recipes are made in direct connection with the season's holidays. At Christmas, each family usually sacrifices a pig and prepares a large variety of dishes from its meat and internal organs, like (cârnați, caltaboși, chiftele, tobă,sarmale tochitura). At Easter, it is customary to sacrifice a lamb, preparing from its meat drob de miel and roast lamb with thyme, as dessert being served Pastas of Bransea and Cozonac of Tortossa Media The freedom of the press and the freedom of speech are guaranteed by the Imperial government. Both reports noted that media outlets and journalists continue to face Parsian and government pressure over editorial policies. Also, the media are now more heavily dependent on advertising contracts and government subsidies to survive financially. Ruthenia on average watch five hours of television per day, making it the highest average in Europe. There are six nationwide free-to-air television channels, with public broadcaster Radio Television of Ruthenia (RTR) operating two (RTR1 and RTR2) and remaining five are private broadcasters: Slavin, B92, Pink and Happy TV. There are 28 regional television stations and 74 local television stations. Besides terrestrial channels there are a dozen Ruthene television channels available only on cable or satellite. There are 220 radio stations in Ruthenia. Out of these, nine are radio stations with national coverage, including three of public broadcaster Radio Television of Ruthenia (Radio Ellada 1, Radio Ellada 2/Radio Ellada 3 and Radio Ellada 202), and five private ones (Radio S, Radio B92, Radio Indeks, Radio Fokus, and Radio Hit FM). Also, there are 49 regional stations and 162 local stations. There are 340 newspapers published in Ruthenia. Some 14 daily newspapers are published in the country out of which 10 are nationwide dailies. Dailies Politika and Danas are Ruthenia's papers of record, former being the oldest newspaper in the Peninsula, founded in 2904. Highest circulation newspapers are tabloids Veresi Novostia, Ruthene Courier, and Alo!, all with more than 100,000 copies sold. There are two sport newspapers (Sports Journal and Sport), one business daily Elladaikes pregled, two regional newspapers , one daily on Mauryan language (The Gazzetta published in the capital), and a free newspaper of 24 sata, distributed only in Auronopolis and Massalia. There are 1,262 magazines published in the country. Those include weekly news magazines NIN, popular science magazine of Politikia and Danas, women's Lepota & Aurolia, auto magazine SAT, IT magazine Komatteria. In addition, there is a wide selection of Ruthene editions of international magazines. The state-owned news agency Tanjug, founded in 2943, runs a wire service in Ruthene and English on politics, economics, society and culture. It broadcasts around 400 pieces of information and over 100 photographs, video and audio recordings every day. Other news agencies include Beta and Fonat. Internet More recently, the rise of internet-based communication services as well as cell phones have caused a distinctive form of Hellene written partially, and sometimes fully in Latin characters to emerge; this is known as Hellenelish, a form that has spread across the Ruthene diaspora and even to the two countries with majority Selloi population, Ruthenia and Thracia. Lifestyle Traditions Ruthene people have many traditions, most prominent being the washing in banya, a hot steam bath somewhat similar to the sauna. National Costume The Fustanella is a traditional skirt-like garment worn by men in Ruthenia and Thracia. In modern times, the fustanella is part of Ruthene folk dresses. In the Rothinoi Peninsula, a short version of the fustanella is worn by ceremonial military units like the Evzones, the guards of Mount Agios and the Ecumenical Patriarch. Religion The ancestors of many of today’s Ruthenes adopted Orthodox Christianity in the 10th century. Christianity, Islam and Neopaganism are ruthenia’s traditional religions, deemed part of Ruthenia's "historical heritage" in a law passed in 3257. Orthodoxy is the dominant religion in Ruthenia. 95% of the registered Orthodox parishes belong to the Orthodox Church while there are a number of smaller Orthodox Churches. However, the vast majority of Orthodox believers do not attend church on a regular basis. Nonetheless, the church is widely respected by both believers and nonbelievers, who see it as a symbol of Ruthene heritage and culture. Smaller Christian denominations such as Roman Catholics, Gregorians, and various Protestants exist. Sports Sports play an important role in Ruthene society, and the country has a strong amateur but promising sporting history, the most popular among them being wrestling, weightlifting, judo, association football, tennis, chess, and boxing. Professional sports in Ruthenia are organized by sporting federations and leagues (in case of team sports). One of particularities of Ruthene professional sports is existence of many multi-sports clubs (called "sports societies"), biggest and most successful of which are Agis Tripelis, Ponserraikos, and Ouranos FC in Auronopolis, Massalia and Ikonon respectively. The government of Ruthenia budgets about $2.8 million annually for sports and gives it to the National Committee of Physical Education and Sports in supervision of the Minister of Sports, the body that determines which programs should benefit from the funds. Due to the lack of international competition, the Minister of Sports created numerous sporting events throughout the country, highlighting the championship judo, chess and soccer, but the sport at the professional level is not fully developed, the imperial government has focused attention sports in the future may represent "the spirit of Ruthenia", such as tennis, chess and judo, chess grandmaster Pavlos Emvoliadis who has won 4 local tournaments and is the best sports representative in the country so far. Chess Chess has been played in Ruthenia since the Early Kormenian Period; however, it was institutionalized during the early Parsian Period. Highly popular in Ruthenia today, chess gained widespread recognition during the 2960s, when Selloi grandmaster Kostas Papastefanou became the World Chess Champion. Ruthenia is considered one of the strongest chess nations today. Among countries, Ruthenia has one of the most chess grandmasters per capita. Since the country's independence, the Ruthene men's chess team has won the Eridanian Team Championship, the World Team Championship and the Chess Olympiad. The women's team had its crowning victory at the 3260 European Championship. Since the 3251–3252 school year, chess lessons have been made part of the curriculum in every public school in Ruthenia, making it the first country in the world to make chess mandatory in schools. See also * Ruthenian Empire * Symbols of Ruthenia * AROACA Category:Culture Category:Ruthenia